Cable stitch knitting



Feb. 8, 1949.

Filed Jan. 50, 1946 J. FONTAINE CABLE STITCH KNITTING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

JACK FONTAINE 0% FU'W/MZ ATTORNEYS 1949- J. FONTAINE CABLE STITCH KNITTING I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 301 1946 INVENTOR; JACK FONTAINE ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 8, 1949 CABLE STITCHf KNITTING Jack Romain Clev land, h o. ass gn r. of 32%/10.0 to Leonard Rapaport, Shaker Heights,

Ohio

Application J annary 30, 19.46, Serial No. 6491;209.

5 Claims. (Cl. 66-63) If, in knitting, certain rows of stitches be in.- ter-transposed with other rows whereby one such set is twisted across over the other, a rope.- like orcable appearance is given, which is desirably ornamental. Such cable stitch knitting eifect has been difiicult to attain heretofore, .by reason of .its highly specialized character. In accordance with the present invention, however, such knitting effect may be attained veryv con.- veniently, and with relatively simple changes in equipment and operation of well-known. knitting machinery. Thus, knitting machines of the linkand-link fiat type may be readily converted and be operated to produce cable stitch fabrics.

Tothe accomplishment .of the fore oing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafteriully described, and particularly pointed out inthe claims, the following description andthe annexed drawings setting, forth in detailcertain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these beingindicative, however, of but afew of the various ways in which the prin ciple-of the invention-may be employed.

In saidannexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan-view of the needle,-

plates of a flat knitting machine, equipped; with special needles, and showing the first steptoward the transposition of stitches to produce cable stitch knitting;

Figs. 2and 3 are side view. and plan view rehaving means for racking or relatively moving the plates as in known detail and which need not be shown here, the needle grooves13 are. provided with needles 4,, which, as seen in Figs. Z-and 3,

have the peculiarity of having-hooks 5, 6, at-the ends, but only one is provided with a closing member or latch 1. With such hooks in the needle grooves, and the yarn fed by the cus: tomary guides, stitch-loops are laid on the needle hooks. As illustrated in Fig. 1, there is one set of needles represented by a, f, on one plate, only 2. the two boundary needles being necessary. to be shoW l,.these forming the stitches as represented at. a and-.1 and the rest of the adjoining knitted fabric Fig. 11; And, between the groups of needles represented at a and f forming the groundwork of body. of the knitted'fabric is an intermediategroun represented by b; c, d, e, the needles here being on the opposite plate 2. It

willbe imderstood thatthe precise number of this intermediate groupmay varyconsiderably, within practicable limits, dependent. upon howv many stitch rows'it .is desired to transposeintocable effect. Thus, the group of four stitch. rows as involved in the transposing, may be taken as illustrative. With the stitch-loops set as in 1., next one plate is moved relatively in front of the other, oris. racked, as it is sometimes termed, to a position as in Fig. 5, where the initially more remote stitch-loops, here b, c, are brought to a. position adjacent the needle and loop) bounding the groundwork fabric as being formedon the Opposite plate 2. The needles and stitch-loops b, c, are now opposite the empty grooves which. are alongside the needle and stitchelocpj; At this-juncture, the needle jacks hare moved byv the coeaction of cam grooves C ontheir projections 9, Fig. 4, such cams being on the order asknownin these machines, and being S in the cover plate whichmoves longitudinally of the needleenlate, andthe needles andstitch loops {2, c, are slid across and are picked up by the jacks of'the other plateandare pulled into the grooves 3c, 3d. Fi 5, the stitches sliding on the needles to-the other hook end, the position now being that shown. in Fig. 6. With another relative move? mentor racking movement, the needlesand stitch -1-cops d;, e, aretben brought back opposite the.

empty grooves 3d, 3e, alongside the needle and stitch-100p a. Again, the camscome into action andthejacks lide the-needles, and the jacks on he other pla e drzuv them backthroush the stitch loop, tothe position shown in Fig. 8, the yarn, of the stitchv rows d, 2, being pulled over abovethat of thestitch rowsb, 0. With alateral mouementor racking. the plates are then recast off. The knitting then proceeds through several courses of stitches, in number as determined by the particular Proportions and pattern desired, and then with appropriate control, as by generally known pattern chain means, the twist effect may be repeated, and so on.

It will be noticed that with the equipment of special needles as afore-described, and the appropriate racking and transpositions, mechanism of the flat knitting type may be very conveniently operated to produce novel effects in cable stitch form and with greater or less elaborateness of design, as desired. 7

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the detail described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such, be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

' 1. The method of knitting on link-and-link flat type knitting machines having grooved needleplates and racking means, which comprises making cable stitches by providing in the grooves of the needle plates needles having an open hook at one end and a hook with closing member at the other end, forming a row of stitch-loops on the needle hooks on one plate in an intermediate group between spaced stitch-loops on oppositely directed hooks on the opposite, plate, relatively moving some of the stitch loops and needles to position the initially more remote stitch-loops and needles of the said intermediate group near to one of said spaced stitch-loops and needles on the opposite plate and then sliding said relatively moved needles of the said intermediate group across to such opposite plate with the stitch-loops sliding along their needles to the hooks of the other end, relatively moving the rest of the stitchloops and needles of said intermediate group near to the other of said stitch-loops and needles originally on the opposite plate, and, sliding such other needles of the said intermediate group across to such opposite plate with the stitch-loops sliding along their needles to the hooks of the other end, then sliding all such transferred needles of the said intermediate group back to their original plate and bringing their stitch-loops onto the other end of the needles, knitting for several courses, and then repeating the foregoing steps.

2. A method of knitting on link-and-link flat type knitting machines having grooved needleplates and racking means with, needles having an open hook at one end and a hook and closing element at the other end, which comprises making cable stitches by forming a row of stitch-loops onneedle hooks of one plate in an intermediate group between spaced stitch-loops on the opposite plate, racking to position the initially more remote stitch-loops and needles of the intermediate group near one of said spaced stitch-loops and needles on the opposite plate, and sliding some of the racked needles across to such opposite plate, racking to bring the rest of the stitch-loops and needles of said intermediate group to face the space yet left between said spaced stitchloops, and sliding the needles across to such opposite plate, then sliding all transferred needles back to their original plate, knitting for several courses, and then repeating the foregoing steps.

3. A method of knitting on flat type knitting machines having two grooved needle-plates and needles with one open hook and one hook with a closing element and racking means, which comprises making cable stitches by forming a row of stitch-loops on needle hooks of needle-plate No. 1 ,in an intermediate group between spaced stitch-loops on the opposite plate No. 2, racking one needle-plate to position initially more remote stitch-loops and needles of the said intermediate group of needle-plate No. 1 near one of said spaced stitch-loops and needles on the needleplate No. 2, and sliding the needles across to such needle-plate No. 2 whereby the stitch-loops slide each along its needle into open opposite end hooks of the same needle, racking to bring the remaining stitch-loops and needles of said intermediate group to a position facing the space yet left on needle-plate No. 2, and sliding the needles across to such needle-plate No. 2 whereby the stitchloops slide each along its needle into opposite open end hooks of the same needle, then sliding all transferred and interchanged needles and stitch loops back to'their original plate, knitting for several courses, and then repeating the foregoing steps. 4. Cable stitch knitting with sets of differently directed needle hooks, comprising forming a plurality of stitch-loops on one set of hooks as an intermediate group between spaced stitch-loops formed on the other set of needle hooks, racking to bring the initially more remote stitch-loop of said intermediate group near to one of the said spaced other directed stitch-loops according to pattern and transferring such initially more remote stitch-loop into a hook of the other needle set, then racking to bring the remainder of the stitch-loops of said intermediate group to a position facing the space yet left between the said spaced stitch-loops and transferring same into such space, re-placing all transferred loops back to their original orientation, knitting a plurality of courses, and then repeating the aforesaid steps. 5. Knitting with sets of differently directed needle hooks, comprising knitting cable stitch effects by forming a plurality of intermediate stitch-loops 'on one set in position between spaced stitch-loops on the other set, relatively laterally moving said intermediate stitch-loops and transferring at least one therefrom over to a position in the other set, then reversely relatively laterally moving the remainder of the intermediate stitch-loops and transferring at least one to a position alongside a previously transferred stitch-loop, knitting a plurality of courses, and then repeating the aforesaid steps.

JACK FONTAINE.

REFERENCES CITED '-The following references are ofrecord in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

